USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 26253 — Beverly, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elkins Randolph Co Airport, WV (1,979 ft), 5 miles northeast.
Updated
In Beverly, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 5 in half of years and has passed by May 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 12, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 159 days (NOAA, Elkins Randolph Co Airport, WV).
- Last spring frost
- May 5
- First fall frost
- October 12
- Growing season
- 159 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 11
- Last snow
- April 7
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 68.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Beverly
Half of springs at Elkins Randolph Co Airport, WV see their last 32°F night by May 5; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 21. Planting tender crops after May 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 17 20%, and after May 21 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 81% of the 84 West Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 12 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 13, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 159 days in a typical year, shorter than at 88% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 178 days one year in ten and falls short of 141 one year in ten. On average 136 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 11 days longer, to about May 16, and return around October 4. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and March 18.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 23 | May 26 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 9 | May 12 | May 17 | May 21 |
| 28°F | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 2 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 24°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 27 |
| 20°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 16°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 14 |
| 20°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elkins Randolph Co Airport, WV, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 26253 →Compare Beverly with another place →
Weather by month in Beverly
July is the warmest month at Elkins Randolph Co Airport, WV, averaging 83°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 42°F and 20°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 63% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,967 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 81% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 35% of them (1,052) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 663. Precipitation totals 47.4 inches a year, most in July (6.0") and least in November (2.9"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 20 | 3.4 | 100% | 26 | 7 |
| Feb | 45 | 22 | 3.3 | 100% | 23 | 8 |
| Mar | 54 | 29 | 4.0 | 100% | 21 | 37 |
| Apr | 66 | 37 | 4.1 | 100% | 10 | 136 |
| May | 73 | 47 | 5.1 | 63% | 2 | 329 |
| Jun | 80 | 56 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 536 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Aug | 82 | 58 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 628 |
| Sep | 77 | 52 | 3.5 | 9% | <1 | 424 |
| Oct | 66 | 39 | 3.1 | 99% | 9 | 154 |
| Nov | 55 | 30 | 2.9 | 100% | 20 | 35 |
| Dec | 45 | 24 | 3.6 | 100% | 25 | 10 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Elkins Randolph Co Airport, WV (1,979 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Belington, WV, 14 miles north of Beverly and 210 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day later (May 6), a first frost 1 day later (October 13).
When it snows in Beverly, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Beverly usually arrives around November 11, and the last of the season around April 7. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Elkins Randolph Co Airport, WV, 4.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 26253
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 24 – March 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 7 – April 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 12 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 26253 is 5 miles from Elkins Randolph Co Airport, WV, which stands at 1,979 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 26241 (Elkins). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 26253 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across West Virginia →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.